There She Goes
by CurlyHairedDemon
Summary: Izuru watches her walk past, her eyes alight with a cheerful fire, and, even as he feels a bubble of elation swell deep within him, he can see that those eyes aren't aflame for him. Oneshots and fluff.
1. I Will

Watching her was getting harder for Izuru. Sometimes she seemed too lovely to look at. Other times, there was that lost, broken look that she only wore when looking straight at Izuru. That look killed him a little more each time he saw it.

Momo had never really had a particularly 'special' look for Izuru. Her look for Aizen was--_had been_--one of pure adoration; her look for Toshiro was one of a conniving younger sister, but for Izuru, he got the same look she would have given Renji. Izuru hadn't minded it, really. It was painful, though, being equated with a person who was so blatantly _just_ a friend.

And then he got what he had always fantasized as 'his' look. It wasn't adorably innocent or intoxicatingly coy. He was a reminder; he was a remnant of a time she wanted to forget. The shards of her soul were bared in that hurt glance. Izuru wanted to hold her until she managed to cry those unshed tears and then keep holding her until those tears faded. He couldn't, though, and that knowledge broke him.

It was hard to be around her. So very hard.

-

Momo sat on the edge of the wooden porch, hugging her knees. She pretended not to notice people going by, murmuring greetings or whispering sympathetically to one another. They thought she was strange. No, worse than that, they thought she was weak.

It wasn't fair. No one could understand what she was going through. No one.

"Momo?" his voice was soft and tentative. Not the thunderous roar like that day in the courtyard. Izuru was downright frightening when he was angry. Momo squeezed her eyes shut at the memory and felt shameful as hot tears caught on the lashes.

"How—" Izuru cut himself. 'How are you?' would be such a stupid question now. It was obvious. She was in a million pieces. She wasn't fine; she wasn't close to fine.

The wood next to her made a creaking noise as Izuru sat down easily.

"Would you like to go someplace quieter?" he asked her softly, attempting to work up the nerve to place a hand on her back. He tried to ignore the bustle of people walking behind him.

"Sure," she whispered. Even if Izuru reminded her of all the horrible things that had happened, she didn't feel as weak around him. No, she felt just as awful and helpless, but she didn't feel as ashamed. It didn't hurt as much around him. Izuru understood, Izuru wouldn't judge, Izuru would try his hardest to protect her. That was how he had gotten embroiled into this whole grand scheme. All he wanted to do was protect her, and he trusted the wrong person. Momo felt grateful, and by virtue of gratitude, leaned against him softly as they got up and walked..

"I apologize," Izuru's voice was very quiet as they approached a tree, a weeping willow, fittingly enough. He pushed aside the branches and sat quietly at the trunk of the tree.

"What for?" she sat next to him, once again hugging her knees and wishing Izuru would place a comforting arm around her and make this all go away.

"This is my fault. I should have been smarter than this," Izuru brought a hint of self-loathing in his tone, but the bite in his voice made Momo shrink even further into the shadows of the tree.

"You couldn't have known—and even if you _had_—" she put a shy hand on his shoulder, "—they would have killed you. And I would have died a little bit too."

Izuru felt a familiar pink tint his cheeks. It was nice to be back in this situation with Momo, nice to pretend a thousand people didn't think him a fool or a traitor, nice to just soak up her presence.

"Momo…" he shook his head, "you _did_ die a little. I can see it."

"_Please_ don't say you understand—" she began to beg him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I don't. I can't," he murmured quietly, pulling her into an embrace. "I will not pretend to feel the pain you're going through, and I know I cannot comprehend the hurt you've known." He felt weak too now. He couldn't help her. He couldn't say the words she needed to hear; hell, he didn't even know what those words were. "I used to think it mattered if I understood, but now I just don't know…" he felt her sobs beginning to come, at first a slow trembling in her shoulders that he doubted he would have noticed had he not been holding her so close. Soon, small, despairing noises pulled themselves from her lips, and she trembled in his grasp.

"Thank you. Thank you," she whispered softly against his neck. Izuru felt her move up tentatively as her sobs began to subside.

"Thank you," Momo whispered again. Her own daring shocked her as she moved away from him for just a moment. The pressure against his lips was so tentative and light that for a moment, Izuru was sure he had imagined it. But that look in her eyes of adoration wasn't imagined. Izuru removed his hands from her shoulders and moved them to cup her face instead. Slanting his mouth against hers, he attempted to pour years of silent yearning, and a tender, unspoken promise—_I will protect you, I will make you happy, I will always be here for you_—into the kiss, hoping to permeate the layers of sadness.

Her arms tightened around his neck, and her fingers shyly touched his hair. Tentative. Shy. It was too adorable. Izuru tightened his arms around her, leaning back against the tree to hold her even closer as he continued to gently move his lips against hers.

Izuru whispered three words into the kiss. Three words that he had wanted to say from the day he saw her, three wonderful words that made Momo tense in his grasp momentarily before melting into him. Those were the words she needed to hear. He had finally managed to do what he had wanted to do from the beginning: save her.

-

**Someone on dA wanted more! To be honest, I lost my flashdrive (it's somewhere around here) which has the half-finished sequel to First Light on it. I have some reeeeeeally depressing stuff on it too, so maybe it's a good thing?**

**(oh, and if you think this is depressing, in unpublished oneshots I have killed Momo twice. Maybe I'll try killing Izuru sometime.)**


	2. Of Butterflies and White Knights

When she wore adorable little pigtails, Momo certainly caught Izuru's eye, but her hair was something he could never quite imagining interacting with.

When she became a seated guard, she suddenly began pulling her hair in those beautifully dignified fabric-covered buns, which, to Izuru, not only held a very womanly sense of regality, but a strange source of eroticism.

She visited him sometimes at the 3rd squad, and laugh and smile and be _Momo_ and then when the light caught on the pretty fabrics she chose for her hair, he had an idea. His fingers would very suddenly catch her chin, and her eyes would be so wide and brown and innocent that he would hesitate, but only for a moment, before he began to kiss her breathless. Her arms would go around his neck and he would whisper how much he loved her and how gorgeous she was, and his fingers would catch on the stiff little bow holding her hair into place.

He would cup it in his hand, feeling the soft fabric catch against the callouses of his palm, and he would pull the tie, allowing the thing to flutter away like a butterfly, and suddenly her mystic, dark hair would be swathed around them both, catching the light. Her hair like that would be their secret, something only they could see. His fingers would twine through it, reveling in the texture and scent, and he could feel it brushing against his neck and she felt so wonderful as they kissed, and suddenly her hand would slide—

(It was usually at this point when a shamefaced Izuru excused herself from her presence, mercilessly beating back his imagination)

-

Momo had always found his hair to be a little mysterious. When they were still attending, she mentioned it would look even better if it were longer and he immediately took her up on it. The bangs on the right side of his face suddenly grew long, masking his youthful, wholesome features. Shortly after they were both promoted to Lieutenant, she stopped Izuru in the hall one day.

"Momo!" Izuru's voice was a lot higher than Momo remembered. The paperwork he had so meticulously organized, slide quietly to the floor, though he certainly didn't seem to notice. "I-is there something I can do for you?"

"Izuru, can I do something?" Momo was looking down slightly, a sure sign that she was a little embarrassed.

"What do—" Izuru was suddenly very sure he was going to have a heart attack, because her fingers were all of a sudden on his face. They touched on the corner of his mouth for a moment , and then they were pushing aside his bangs. His breath caught in his chest as she looked closely at the side of his face that had remained hidden.

With some amount of symmetry restored to his features, Momo thought Izuru was actually quite handsome now that he had grown into his serious looks. His face had gained the angular elegance of a marble statue, with a long, austere nose and blue eyes that flashed like chips of ice. With the frame of the pale, cornsilk hair, Momo decided he looked like the hero from a fairytale. His was the face of a white knight in shining armor, rescuing damsels and slaying dragons, all while his high code of honor and sense of chivalry guided him along the road of life. Yes. That was definitely Izuru.

Izuru himself was floating on a cloud. He was enjoying her proximity, most definitely, and the lovely feeling of those impossibly soft fingertips tracing over his features was almost unbearably wonderful. He wasn't really sure what he was going to do when she removed her hands; it seemed like his whole existence had led up to this point.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour to Izuru, though it was only thirty seconds, she removed her hands. Izuru sighed as he descended back to earth, and opened his eyes to look at Momo. She was smiling.

"Thanks, Izuru," she told him.

"Hey, Momo?" Izuru's heart got even faster.

"Yes?" she turned and faced him. Dear god, she was _so close_. He hadn't been this close to her in a very long time. He hadn't been this close to _a woman_ in a very long time, mostly because the only woman he ever wanted was Momo. Lovely, wonderful, kind, fiery, determined, easygoing, and painfully naïve Momo.

Naivety was easy to solve, Izuru decided as his heart pounded in his ears. Carefully, he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her face up to meet his.

**Some KiraHina fluff typed up in the dentist's office waiting room.**

**Hey, I meant to say this earlier, but if you want to see a continuation of any of these oneshots, please say so!!! 8D**


	3. Please Forget

Izuru glanced up at his bound wrists. They were snugly cinched to his bedposts with two Lieutenants' badges: the 3rd and 5th Squads'. He sighed with no small amount of melancholy and glanced at his surroundings. Wriggling slightly to shift the sheets, he was pleased to find he was still wearing his pants. That was definitely a good sign. Izuru's blue eyes locked on a small hand lying languidly across the cornsilk hair lightly coating his abdominals. Following the hand with his gaze, he found it led to a figure curled into a tiny ball at his side.

Momo too, was completely clothed except where her shirt hung sordidly off one shoulder, revealing a tempting amount of her porcelain skin. Her dark hair had fallen mostly out of the elegant, cloth-covered bun she usually held it in and had spread silkily across his chest. Her long lashes dusted her fine-boned cheeks as her mouth hung open slightly, deep in the throes of sleep. That was good too.

How in the _world_ had he gotten himself into this one?

-

Half an hour prior to this, Izuru was tucking in nicely to his paperwork. It was a quiet night alone at the 3rd Company, and the wiry Lieutenant with his blond hair in his face wouldn't have it any other way.

_Not quite true,_ a melancholy and hopelessly romantic part of his brain pointed out. He could imagine her, sitting their across his desk, smiling slightly as she dutifully did her paperwork. Momo's hand would accidentally brush his, and she would glance up, giving him a tender gaze as a pale rose tone overtook her face. He would smile too, taking her slender hand in his own broad, square one. He would stroke it lovingly with his thumb until she took the hand and pressed it against the side of her face, closing her eyes in joy. He would snake his fingers through her hair, moving slowly down her neck, enjoying the feeling of her, pale as the moon and soft as the sky. Her eyelashes would flutter open, flick to the door leading to his chambers, and lock deeply on his own, somehow maintaining innocence through her sordid suggestion—

Izuru jumped about a foot as the Momo before him vanished with a clumsy rap on his door. Stumbling to his feet, he sincerely hoped the redness in his face had dissipated completely.

He slid the door aside and nearly choked. Momo stood there. Her hair was a mess, and he could tell her own movements were quite clumsy, not to mention the sting of liquor on her breath. He realized that the Woman's Organization had been throwing a raucous party at the 2nd Company tonight, and Momo must've left early.

"Hey," he said with a cough that didn't quite dislodge the squeak in his voice. Izuru leaned against the doorframe, attempting to look as cool and casual as possible.

"Izuru…" Momo managed to slur. "I'm a bit lost…"

"Would you like me to walk you back to the 5th Squad?" Izuru inquired chivalrously, ruthlessly beating back the possibilities his mind presented.

"Aww, you're the best, Izuru," Momo smiled. Izuru felt a smug flush overtake his chiseled features as he began to turn to get his sandals.

Suddenly, her lips were on his, and his eyes widened as the heat of her mouth drew him in inexorably. Momo's slender arms went around his neck as she shut the door behind her. Izuru put his hands on her shoulders to stop her, but her tongue flicked against his lips tentatively, and Izuru reciprocated eagerly. He slanted his head to catch her more deeply; she tasted of peaches and lime. Stumbling against the wall (Izuru was fairly sure his body had somehow cruelly jerked the reigns of control away from his mind), his hands found the dip of her waist, drawing Momo so she was flush against his wiry frame.

The languid pressure of his hands against her waist seemed to excite Momo, as she directed them to his chambers, pushing him drunkenly onto his modest bed as her hands nimbly found the hem of his shirt and rid him of the garment. Izuru choked, finally gaining the mental control to attempt to force her away, but Momo would have none of that. Taking her own insignia and his armband, she quickly bound his arms above his head.

Izuru really couldn't believe this. He wasn't sure whether he should be angry at Rangiku for allowing Momo to imbibe this much drink or ridiculously pleased at the way things were going. He let a tiny groan escape his lips as Momo collapsed on top of him, her legs twining around his hips as she eagerly ran her hands over his chest. She kissed him ravenously as one hand ran up his arm to toy with the fabric of his own insignia before catching his fingers in a tormentingly teasing touch. Her other hand traced the long muscles of his neck before slowly, temptingly moving lower.

"Momo—" Izuru managed to gasp against her lips, noting that she was (rather unfairly) still completely clothed. The dark-haired woman ignored him, though she tore her lips from his to line a train of fire across his face. The heat of her lips burned as she moved across his cheek until, pushing past the mass of blonde bangs, she found his ear and traced it lightly with her tongue.. Izuru made another noise, deep and low in the back of his throat., however, her movements slowed as her dark lashes fluttered in confusion.

Simultaneously thanking and cursing his luck, Izuru took what he hoped would be a cleansing break as she slumped off him tiredly. That was close. Too close, or not close enough, he wasn't sure, but by God, it was close.

He closed his eyes and took a few more calming breaths. Mmm, the slender young woman did feel nice next to him.

As his find came back to the present, Izuru scowled at the knot binding his arms above him. Pulling himself up, he went to work at the knot and tried his hardest to ignore where his movement had placed Momo's hand. Reddening furiously at the pleasurable pressure, he tugged at the knot with his teeth until one of his hands were loosened. Quickly, he undid the second knot with trembling fingers.

Stumbling out of the bed, Izuru went over to his wardrobe and pulled out a fresh shirt, as Momo's arms were tangled possessively around his old one. Realizing that Momo's reputation would be in dire jeopardy if he left her like (he coughed nervously) _that_, he wrapped her in the sheets and tenderly carried her to the sofa. He carefully bent down, intending to leave her there while he returned to his paperwork, but her hand caught on his shirt. She made a little noise of consternation and refused to relent her grip. Momo didn't want him to leave her side, and it astounded Izuru how deeply this fact moved him.

Readjusting his grip on the slender young woman, the blond man sat down with her on his lap. Momo made a comforted little noise as she loosened her grip on his shirt slightly. Izuru picked up a book on the end table and attempted to read, but his eyes wouldn't catch on the words. The silky, dark hair caught wonderfully on his bony hand as he idly stroked her. His hand gained a bit more daring and traveled down to her shoulder where Izuru began to massage tenderly. Momo smiled gently in her sleep.

Izuru eventually put the book down and allowed both hands to attend to his beloved. While one hand once again slipped and twined through the silky threads of Momo's hair, Izuru's other hand ran across her ribcage, into the dip of her waist and onto the swell of her hip, washing up and down her body in languid, graceful movements like ocean waves.

Izuru's visible icy eye shone darkly in the fire. He loved Momo. He had loved her longer than he had been a Soul Reaper. Momo's adorable mixture of easygoing cuteness and fiery determination drew admirers, obviously, but Izuru felt a little different than that group of fans. He was one of her closest friends, one of her most trusted confidents. He would go to hell for Momo, and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she would do the same for him (not that he would ever, _ever_ want her to).

"Izuru?" she muttered against the fabric of his gi. Izuru managed not to jump this time, mostly because the movement would dislodge her and she just looked so _cozy_.

"Hmm?" Izuru quickly removed his hand from where it had been lovingly fingering the swell of her hip to the far more neutral territory of her shoulder.

"What happened to the party?" she murmured, and Izuru once again silently thanked and cursed the gods for disallowing the remembrance of their, erm, _close encounter_.

"You got tired so you came over here to sleep," Izuru reassured her as he laced his fingers in her hair.

"Mm," there was a moment of silence from the nubile beauty curled comfortably in his lap, and Izuru was sure for a moment she had fallen asleep. "Why haven't you ever asked me out?"

Izuru felt all his chivalrous bravado drain. Well, maybe Momo was drunk enough that she wouldn't remember _this_ either.

"I—" Izuru looked down at Momo. Her chocolate eyes were glancing up at him expectantly through the dark lashes surrounding them. "To be honest, I always thought you were a bit out of my league." _And you could have rejected me, and I probably would have barfed, and I'm an idiot, and the thought that you could ever feel the same way about me is too much, and I love you too much to ever jeopardize our relationship, _he added mentally.__

"That's a silly reason," Momo told him with a giggle as she slowly descended back into sleep. "Promise me you'll ask me out tomorrow."

Izuru gulped. Perhaps she would forget this conversation too. Then he wouldn't have to. Staking everything he had spent almost forty years building with her, he leaned over to plant a kiss on her cheek.

"I will," he murmured soothingly against her ear.

-

**So, apparently Momo likes her men tied up. This is deliciously disturbing. This is also about as close to smut as we will ever get. (if you're disappointed, I CAN point you in the direction of some really great…stuff *eyebrow-waggle*)**

**YOU WANTED KIRAHINA FLUFF? THEN BY GUM, CURLY DELIVERS!**


	4. First Light

Izuru gave a tiny sound of pain. So this was Kyoka Suigetsu's true power… God, it hurt. He and the other Lieutenants, ordered to seek and destroy the hyogoku, had charged Aizen as soon as Momo had used her kido to discover that he had the dark orb on his person.

Aizen had released his zanpak-to, and all hell broke loose. Izuru knew instinctively to drop his sword, or else he could be tricked into cutting an ally. He hoped the pain he was feeling was the hallucinations and not one of his friends being fooled.

The atmosphere was terrible, though. He could hear battle cries and the clashing of steel, but he couldn't see through the impenetrable mist surrounding him.

_No…_ Izuru begged mentally as he felt himself slipping into another nightmare. In these dreams, a thousand ways to destroy him were used. He could feel every cut and burn as though it were real until he was screaming for death to take him. Then suddenly, he would awaken, whole, but it still hurt _so much_.

He closed his eyes and braced himself for the pain, but it never came. Even the injuries he had felt earlier were gone, a simple memory now. His mind was suddenly filled with a ghastly wail that almost seemed inhuman.

"Izuru?" there was a tantalizingly familiar voice breathing warmly against his ear. "It's your turn to get him, right? Are you awake?"

Izuru instinctively stumbled out of the bed (where had that come from?) and went towards the noise. This dream… this was the first time he had started out whole and unbroken, even _comfortable_. Izuru glanced out the window and saw the moon reflecting brightly off mounds of snow. Was he back in the Seireitei? So it seemed. He turned to look at the other occupant of the bed, and his heart stopped.

Momo Hinamori was in his bed.

Momo Hinamori, her dark hair forming a curtain around her sleepy eyes was blinking up at him expectantly, levering herself up on one elbow.

Momo Hinamori, the girl Izuru had been in love with for longer than he'd been a Soul Reaper. While Izuru knew his feelings certainly weren't the biggest secret in the Seireitei, he had thought he had been going about it very subtly recently. He didn't allow himself to pine or long for her, even though the very thought of her made him ache with longing. Why was Aizen doing this to him? This certainly wasn't torture.

"Were you having a nightmare?" she asked him. "I had trouble waking you up… Izuru, aren't you going to get him?"

Izuru's neck snapped around to the shrieking that his mind had been tuning out. A polished wooden cradle was creaking ominously. Izuru very much wished he had his zanpak-to as he walked over warily to see what monstrous horror Aizen had waiting for him.

In the cradle was, instead of some nightmarish beast, an infant. His stark blond hair contrast with his bright red face as he wailed. Izuru paused. What was he supposed to do with this baby? Bring it to Momo, presumably. Realizing he'd never held a baby, Izuru paused once again, but his hands seemed to know what to do. Those strong, reliable hands scooped up the infant and took it over to the bed. Realizing that he was being gratified, the baby stopped crying and opened up his eyes. Brown. Warm, soft and brown. With blond hair…? And Momo, lying in his bed without a care in the world… A question asked itself in Izuru's head. It burned in his stomach, begging him to voice it.

Izuru laid the baby down next to Momo when he looked up, and once again, his heart nearly stopped. (If a coronary WAS in Aizen's plans for Izuru, he was doing a damned good job of it.)

Momo had slid the robe off her arms so it was hanging around her waist, leaving her utterly bare. Izuru found himself completely unable to look away as a pale blush rose to his face. This wasn't fair at all. He knew it was a hallucination, but he was certainly reacting as though it were real.

Among male Soul Reapers, Momo was actually fairly sought after. A lot of new faces, fresh from the Academy, would have given up a few fingers to be placed in the 5th Squad and under her jurisdiction. Izuru was also pretty sure that most of them would have given an arm to be this close to a half-naked Lieutenant Hinamori.

"Izuru?" the blond man secretly wished she would never stop saying her name. "Coming?"\She lifted up the comforter, and Izuru crawled in stiffly. This was too tempting, too intimate, too close… too close to Momo? There was no such thing!

Her skin looked luminescent in the moonlight pouring through the window, and the contrast with her dark hair was phenomenal. Izuru made a valiant attempt to avert his eyes and succeeded, this time locking on the tiny blond head that Momo was tucking into her breasts. "Kazuki, you're always so hungry!" Momo laughed as the infant suckled greedily.

"I—" Izuru tried to take the tightness out of his voice as he finally managed to ask his question, "is he mine?"

"No," Momo said, and Izuru's world, even though it was a dream, a hallucination, shattered. "He's ours…" Momo smiled and Izuru had never wanted to kiss her more than he did then.

"Kazuki…" Izuru whispered hoarsely. He was a father. This was his son. His and Momo's son. Izuru felt breathless as a feeling of selflessness overtook him. He cupped the little blond head in his hand, feeing the pulse. An electrifying feeling coursed through his body as a slender hand slid on top of his own. Izuru wrenched his ice blue eyes away from _his son_ (oh, how lovely those words sounded!), and met Momo's soft, adoring brown eyes. Months ago, that adoration had been for one man and one man alone: Aizen. But now (he didn't care if this was a dream or hallucination) that adoration was all for him.

"Thank you, Izuru," her other hand twined through his hair, dragging gently. Her brown eyes flicked down to the tiny figure between them and Izuru felt a tightness in his throat. He couldn't have said anything even if he wanted to.

"I love you," Izuru felt his heart melt as she said these words. But they weren't real. _She _wasn't real. This was all Kyoka Suigetsu's doing. That knowledge broke him unlike any torture had been able to do. A hot tear slid down his nose.

"Oh, Izuru…" Momo sighed. She rose to her feet and put Kazuki back to bed. Izuru pondered for the unbearable minute alone. What was Aizen playing at? Overtaking him with desire? Weakening him through fulfillment? Try as he might, he couldn't get either of those ideas to work.

He felt Momo slip back into the bed and was electrified to feel that she hadn't replaced her robe. God, her skin was so soft against his! His eyes widened at the texture of her. He could feel every swell and dip on her beautiful figure.

"I love you," she whispered into his neck. Izuru immediately pulled her close. This was just a dream, right? It wasn't as though the real Momo would ever know. Izuru shut his eyes lazily as he tried to memorize the feeling of her skin and hair pouring lovingly over his chest. He took a deep breath of her scent, sweet and fresh as wildflowers.

Suddenly, Izuru was struck by a realization: Aizen was going to slaughter them. Not Izuru, but this beautiful woman and that _child_, his _son_; they were going to die in this dream and with them Izuru would die inside.

"Momo—" he whispered, panic rising in his voice. He put his hands on her waist, intent on pushing her off so he could take the dream faraway from his beloved and his son before anything could happen to them "—I shouldn't be here."

"Of course you should!" Izuru was once again overcome by the desire to kiss her as fiery determination flashed into her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"I—I don't belong here," Izuru felt his resolve weaken as Momo wrapped her legs around him to keep the blond man from dislodging her. "I don't want to see you get hurt and I don't want—" Izuru nearly choked on the emotions as he said the next word, "Kazuki… t-to get hurt either."

"Izuru…" there was a suddenly look of innocent sadness in her eyes. "Do you want—Are you saying you want to leave me?"

Izuru choked. "No, no, don't please, don't say that, Momo, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry…" he rushed as Momo swallowed bravely.

"People would think we're getting divorced," she whispered. "D-do you want—" Izuru felt as though he had been hit by a train in the most wonderful way. They were _married_. How in the world had that happened?

"No! No…" Izuru wrapped his arms back around her. "Don't say things like that…" he whispered into her hair.

"That's good… because I never want to leave you," she chuckled waterily, melting in his arms. Izuru could still detect a hint of tension in her body.

He shifted his face a few millimeters so he was kissing the top of her head. "I love you," he whispered into her hair, "so much…" Izuru felt her pull away momentarily, and suddenly she was kissing him.

Izuru made a noise as her fingers made butterfly touches across his chest. The overwhelming heat of her mouth made Izuru feel very vulnerable but at the same time unbelievably powerful. She tasted of mint and something wilder, and Izuru never thought he would be this close to Momo, with her fine, piano-like fingers running all over him, and her breath warming his cheek.

He looped his hand around her neck, tangling his fingers in her hair and drawing her even closer, and she dragged her lips in a blazing trail of fire across his cheek and down his neck. Izuru was sure his heart was going to leap out of his chest, but he really did not care. He could die right now and he still would—

Momo's hand had just closed around him and now he was absolutely sure he was going to have a heart attack and die the happiest man in the world.

He felt something pulling at him… no, he was waking up! He was going to miss what happened next! Consciousness came far too soon, however, and he was pulled, suddenly very sullen, from that wonderful world.

"Izuru? Please, please wake up!"

"Kira, goddammit!"

"He's up!"

Izuru blinked open wearily. "Momo…?" he whispered hoarsely. Where was she? Oh, God, had Aizen killed her? Was that his real torture?

"I'm right here, Izuru!" he felt a hand on his head. Taking in his surroundings, Izuru saw he was lying on top of one of the few buildings that hadn't been reduced to rubble. The sky was streaked with sunset and Momo herself was covered in grime and blood.

"Momo! Are you all right?!" Izuru asked, his eyes widening desperately. Momo turned away, shuddering. It took Izuru a minute to realize she was crying. Getting to his feet, Izuru was about to wrap his arms around her when a hand closed around his bicep. A grim-looking Hisagi pulled him aside.

"Leave her. She probably wants to be alone…" Hisagi sighed.

"What happened…?" Izuru asked, shaking some of the tiredness from his head.

"You—you got hit. Hard. We thought you'd died…" Hisagi looked over at the dark-haired girl who was barely moving, save for the mask of tears rolling steadily down her face. "She killed him."

Izuru snapped around to look at Hisagi.

"It was magnificent," he laughed bitterly. "Aizen was the one who got you, see. You had the hyogoku in your hands, and there was a blast and you sailed away with it… you were holding it when we finally got to you. We destroyed it…"

"So in the end… it wasn't Aizen making the hallucinations?" Izuru asked. He was struck by an idea, a stupid, out-there, far-fetched, and utterly wonderful idea.

"No," Hisagi shook his head. Izuru glanced down at the circular burn on his right hand where he must have held the orb. The hyogoku, an object meant to bend time and space… was it possible that, rather than a dream, he had been allowed a glimpse of his own future? A future where would Momo Hinamori become Momo Kira, and fall in love with him and marry him and have his child.

Izuru grinned suddenly. He doubted he could ever frown again, because one day, that dream, that wonderful dream would be his.

"Kira?!" Hisagi yelped at the sudden look of elation on his friend's face. "Momo, I think Kira hit his head harder than you thought."

Momo was in front of Izuru in seconds, peering up at his face. Izuru felt a familiar self-conscious blush rising to his face. Why did he have to turn so red whenever he saw her?

"Both of his pupils are the same size… Izuru? Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Can you hear me?" she reached up to examine his head and he caught her wrists in his hands. Momo herself reddened.

"Um…" Hisagi raised his scraggly eyebrows at the blond man, "I've got to go check on… ah… something!" he launched away from the building.

"Momo…" Izuru licked his dry lips tentatively. "You shouldn't have come here," he murmured to her, drawing her hands to his chest. Her fingers rested at the very end of his gi's neckline, tentatively resting on the barrier between fabric and flesh. If he moved her hands a centimeter, her fingers would be lying on his chest, just like his dream.

"If I hadn't come, you'd be dead," Momo told him, her eyes still sparkling with tears. Izuru was thrilled to notice that she was making no effort to release her hands from his grasp. He removed his unburned hand and, cupping her face, he tenderly thumbed a tear away.

"I'd rather die than see you this upset," he told her earnestly.

Momo's mouth was slightly open, her eyes were wide and still tearful, and her fingers were tense on Izuru's chest.

"Momo, I love you," Izuru hadn't meant to say it out loud, honestly. The words had been crashing through his mind when she looked at him, and they had crashed out of his lips accidentally. It was shockingly easy to say, and he held her gaze steadily.

"I—I mean—" Momo gulped. "Oh, Izuru…" Izuru grinned in spite of himself. She'd said the same thing in his dream. He had wanted to kiss her a thousand times in that dream, and now that he (okay, his future self) had done it, he was very eager to try again.

Izuru released her wrists and took her by the face, drawing her closely. Momo's eyes remained wide as his lips touched hers. He slid his hands down to entwine with her slender fingers, which hung limply at her side. Heat was spreading from his face to the rest of him, begging him to hold her closer, but he patiently pushed that desire back. They _did _have the rest of their lives. Finally, as the last rays of the dying sun bathed them, Izuru pulled away from her, trying to assess his work.

She wasn't crying. That was definitely an improvement. He leaned his forehead against hers, stroking her hair lovingly and smiling gently, as if to say 'Well?'

Momo was trying to think, trying to get her mind moving again. She had never been this close to a boy before, let alone kissed one, but she found that she _liked _it.

"I-Izuru…" she took her hands and hid her face in them, glancing shyly up at him through the haze of the blush she was trying to cover with her fingers.

Izuru decided it was really wonderful to fluster her as opposed to the other way around.

"I love you," he said again, gently taking her hands away from her face. "Momo?"

She made a little noise, and her face turned even redder.

Izuru kissed her again, this time on the cheek. "I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes," he reassured her again, driving her into a deeper color or red. "I don't want to come on too strongly…" his voice dropped into a whisper "but I love you, I need you, I want you and one day I'm going to marry you so I can spend the rest of my life with you."

At this point, Izuru judged it best to release Momo's hands which once again jumped to her face.

"And you're too pretty to cover yourself like that," Izuru told her, his smile still pleasant and gentle.

Momo opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a dry squeak. Blushing furiously, she stumbled off to find _someone_ who didn't have icy blue eyes that turned into warm springs whenever he looked at her.

"Well," Izuru sighed to no one in particular. "It's a start."

-

**Plotline borrowed from an IshiHime fic somewhere on here, but I tried to make the dialogue my own.**

**The title comes from the name Kazuki, which means dawn or first light.**

**As usual, critiques and reviews appreciated**


	5. Through Calm and Storm

Izuru awoke suddenly as thunder crashed outside. The blond man had never really minded storms all that much, but a female who had jumped violently at the noise disliked it intensely.

Momo had certainly never been the type to crawl under beds or into wardrobes over silly little atmospheric disturbances, and once she expected it, she could handle it, but the first strike always scared her terribly. Realizing that in her violent convulsion, she had pulled most of the covers on top of her, Momo moved as to place some blankets back on the man sharing the bed with her. She noticed his bright blue eyes half-open, staring at her someplace between amusement and adoration. She gave him a look as she lumped the sheets back onto him, lying back down.

"It still scares you?" his good-natured voice spoke softly as he toyed with the end of her hair.

"No, it just… makes me jump," Momo rolled onto her side so she was facing Izuru. "Does it scare you?" she slid a hand under his back so she could massage the muscles between his shoulder blades. Izuru closed his eyes and gave a long, contented sigh, feeling the graceful fingers relieving the stressed muscles.

"It never really did," Izuru leaned his head forward, smiling, to look at her. The pretty woman flinched slightly as lightning flashed through the window. Momo pulled herself onto the broad plane of his chest, folding her arms and resting her head on them.

"Do I scare you?" Momo asked him. An adorable little smirk was tugging at the corner of her mouth, and one of her eyebrows was cocked, like the ears of a dog who wanted to play. Izuru couldn't believe it still caused him to choke when she did this type of thing.

"You aren't half as scary as you used to be," he told her, sheepishly clearing his throat, putting his hands on her back and moving in slow, gentle circles.

She sat up on her elbows, her dark hair catching on his fingers. Her own fingers traced along the center of his chest, around the hollow of his neck, up one of the long tendons, across his jawline and finally across his lips. "Is that a yes?"

Izuru gulped nervously. He had used to be an awkward guy who had it bad for a girl who was completely naïve, but now, _now_ here she was, sharing a bed, lying on top of him, for lack of a better term _straddling him_, flirting with him and touching him… They had come so far. "You scared me a lot when I was younger… Man, I used to think I'd faint if I talked to you…"

"You blushed _so much_ back then," Momo giggled at the memory, moving up to kiss his forehead. "It was so cute!"

"Can't you see me blushing now?" Izuru asked her, his face pinkening, as he kissed her neck. "You… don't really scare me… I don't think." Momo once again rested her head on her folded arms, with a tiny smile and playful eyes. "You still make me jump, every time I see you, though. Like lightning." Momo closed her eyes happily, her smile widening just a bit. Izuru wouldn't have sleep so soon, though. Using one bare leg to flip her on her back, he quickly swapped positions with her, causing her to yelp.

"Do I scare you?" Izuru's grin widened exponentially and he raised his exposed eyebrow, his long blond hair shielding half his face. Momo could feel herself blush just a little as Izuru, on his hands and knees above her, thumbed her ear mischievously.

"O-only a few times…" she admitted, for some odd reason, feeling unable to look him in the eye. Izuru's smile drooped a little; he wondered— "Like when I first kissed you in front of everyone," Momo giggled at the memory. "You left the room so quickly; I thought you were mad at me."

"I could never be mad at you," he told her truthfully, nuzzling her neck.

"And then… there was that one time… in the courtyard…" Momo's voice became distant and her eyes clouded. Izuru sighed sadly as the mood darkened. "I… I guess I thought you were really going to hurt—"

Momo suddenly yelped as another clap of thunder shook the room, causing her to jump and wrap her arms and legs around Izuru, leaving them with the comical appearance of her clinging to him a good four inches above the mattress.

Izuru chuckled in spite of himself, rolling onto his side and wrapping his arms tightly around Momo who was laughing too.

"I'd never hurt you in a million years."

"I know, Izuru. You never scare me any more."

"You still scare me," Izuru told her frankly. "You're too good for me and I wonder if you'll realize it one day."

"Even if that were true," Momo tangled her feet in his shins, kissing him on the nose, "I wouldn't care anyways."


	6. Innocence

"They're too damn cute," Rangiku shook her head. Renji nodded heartily. The two were watching where Izuru and Momo were sitting next to eachother on the couch.

Momo was idly chatting with Isane, fairly oblivious to how red Izuru had grown. The blushing man was, of course, ridiculously pleased with himself for finally working up the nerve to confess his feelings to Momo, who had now been spending quite a bit more time with him than ever before. Izuru, however, was now having an extreme internal conflict in which he appeared to be working up the guts to grab her hand.

"God, I still feel like punching him," Renji sighed moodily into his drink.

"He's still the same!" Rangiku laughed.

"Hey, where's the guest of honor?" Renji let out sight of relief as Momo leaned over to give Izuru a soft kiss on the cheek, sending the blond further into his crimson-faced state.

"Working late, _of course_." Rangiku huffed, offended. "And after all the time I put in making the cake and putting up crepe paper!"

"Shuhei's going to be late for his own funeral," Renji shook his head.

"Knowing Rangiku's temper, this just might be it!" Momo giggled as she approached. Izuru, who was being towed around by his hand, looked shyly at the floorboards.

With no small amount of sentimentality, Renji gave the wiry Lieutenant a hearty kick in the side, making the man yelp. "Oh, stop acting so embarrassed! She's your girlfriend, for crying out loud!"

Izuru silently glared at Renji. He certainly wasn't going to deny _that_ fact, but they had only been dating for a month! He wasn't going to get ahead of himself.

"Oh, Izuru!" Momo giggled, embracing him and kissing the tip of his nose.

Izuru finally, _finally_ managed to tear himself out of his silent stupor, laughing aloud as he caught the girl as she tumbled into his arms.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed!" Momo kissed the tip of his nose again. Izuru wished she'd kiss just a little lower, but his face went red as he even thought of saying _that_ to her!

"You're so cute too," he managed to say, really hoping he hadn't sounded too forward. With a tiny pink tint to her face, Momo giggled and pecked him lightly on the lips. Wish granted, Izuru thought giddily, pulling her into an adoringly tender embrace

"Hey, lovebirds!" Rangiku snapped, causing Izuru to jump about a foot in the air and breaking their enamored spell. "Hide! He's coming!"

Someone hit the lights and Izuru quickly squatted down behind the couch. He felt Momo drape herself over his back, and once again, her lips found his very pink cheek.

He felt her arms go around him, and he was about to bring her closer for another kiss when suddenly-

"SURPISE!" Rangiku flicked the lights back on as a very shocked purple-haired lieutenant entered the room.

"Ra-a-angiku!" Shuhei laughed. "You shouldn't have!"

"Ah, shaddap and have a drink!" Rangiku laughed, pressing a plastic cup onto him, planting a kiss on the grouchy man.

-

"That was fun!" Rangiku told Shuhei as the last guests left.

"You're not going to sneak out and leave me to clean up, are you?" Shuhei asked her sneakily.

Her silence was enough of a confession.

"Ran, you lazy-ass," he admonished, passing her a trash bag.

-

"Look, it's a full moon!" Momo ran up ahead to get a better look at the placid orb, glowing softly surrounded by stars.

As she turned again to face him, Izuru was overwhelmed with emotion. Momo's soft, china-like features were made even more luminescent by the pearly frame of the moonlight. The dazzling stars made her eyes sparkle brightly as a tiny smile overtook her face. She was too beautiful.

"They say a full moon means good luck!" Momo told him, reaching for his hand.

"It brought me good luck last month," Izuru confessed frankly, twining their fingers.

"Mmm," Momo made a little contented noise as she leaned against him, smiling and lightly pressing one cheek to his chest as if to hear his heartbeat. She pulled back to smile happily up at him, and he leaned forward, tenderly capturing her lips with his. Momo's delicate fingers clung lightly to the front of his shirt as she tipped her head to better accommodate his kiss.

Izuru grinned against her lips as he braced himself with one hand on a wall. Momo giggled and draped her arms around his neck. Izuru's other hand slid down to the dip of her pert waist, pressing her closer still to him.

"I love you, Izuru," Momo murmured idly as she pulled away from his lips, leaning against him as her fingers caught tenderly on the edges of his blond hair.

"I love you too," Izuru felt overwhelmed by those amazing words coming from her lips. He kissed her again, though this time, his motions were desperate and urgent, pinning her protectively between him and the wall as he stroked her hands almost nervously. "I love you so much."

Her mouth opened just slightly, allowing him to kiss her even more deeply. She catches his bottom lip between her teeth, securing her arms around his neck as he leaned back, bringing her so her feet dangled above the ground. Momo's slender fingers twined lovingly through his hair as she pulled away from him, though he refused to let her touch the ground.

Izuru's bright blue eyes were positively shining with joy as he held her in the moonlight. That thing really did bring him the best of luck.

-

**Hey, guess what! I'm doing a long(er) KiraHina story! It's called Hallelujah! Go check it out!**


	7. Almost and Everything

They're both furious. Momo doesn't understand why Izuru is so angry at her, which makes her mad. The icy fire raging in the blond man's cold blue eyes is an enigma to everyone but himself. The dark-haired girl's own brown eyes are alight with frustration and anger.

_As the hollow roughly scooped her up in one brusque paw, Momo realized it was indeed very foolish to dispatch herself like this. She fumbled with her radio, wiring for assistance while simultaneously knowing that the help would never _ever_ arrive in time and she was going to die. Fumbling with Tobiume, she shot a pink fireball pointblank into the heinous skull mask leering above her. The monster shook its head almost mockingly, easily shaking off the damage._

Then it hit her. This hollow was immune to kido. She was as good as dead.

"Izuru, what's wrong?" Momo finally manages to shove aside her pride for long enough to ask that question.

"Wrong?!" Izuru laughs humorlessly, with an almost sardonic sneer overtaking his face "_Wrong?!_"

Momo winces at the cruel sound.

"Hinamori," she feels like crying as he addresses her like a stranger, "What were you _thinking?!_"

_The grasp around her torso tightened every time she inhaled, slowly strangling her._

Momo set off another round of fire, this one launching into the sky, hopefully signaling her position to any help. With a dizzy shudder, for she could barely draw breath anymore, her sword clattered to the ground.

Her eyes had begun to roll back into her skull when suddenly, she heard it. A patter of sandals, growing louder with every passing moment. Suddenly, there was a streak of blond, and Izuru was before her, his hair shielding his face, holding his position as he jumped towards them, and suddenly he disappeared in a flurry of flash-steps, sending bloody spurts arcing across the sky.

Momo is crying openly now, and Izuru very much wishes he could take back his harsh words.

"Momo-" Izuru reaches out to brush her tears away, but then thinks better of it.

"I'm so useless…" the dark-haired girl puts her head despairingly into her hands.

Izuru pulls her into a hug. It's the closest he's ever been to her, but he knows that this is no time to think of his unrequited feelings, even though they are the stem of his rage.

_As the hollow's head rolled away from its body, Izuru came over to her._

"Let's go," he murmured. His cold eyes were dark and arcing with fury.

Momo got to her feet unsteadily, reaching blindly for his arm. She stumbled when she couldn't find it with her searching fingertips.

Izuru didn't want to think about what just happened. He had almost lost her a second time. Too many almosts. Almost_ had nearly killed her, twice now. He couldn't look at her; he couldn't touch her, or else he'd see that vision. That vision of what would happen when _almost_ failed. _

Izuru takes a deep, cleansing breath of Momo's scent. It's mixed with blood and sweat, but the overpowering scent of honeysuckle is still there. She's shuddering ever so slightly in his arms. Crying, again, because of him. He really hates himself sometimes.

"I don't want to lose you," he whispers into her hair, holding her tightly to him. "So I'm begging you, don't do stuff like this."

"Why don't you want to lose me?" the question is simple and honest, and the usual lies jump to Izuru's mind, _because you're my friend, because you're a good person_ but maybe the truth will stop those tears.

With that thought, he removes his face from where it's nestled comfortably in her hair, and as she pulls away to look at him, her dark eyes shining with tears, he slants his mouth tentatively against hers.

Kissing Momo has always been of Izuru's never-entertained fantasies and nothing else, but this is honestly and unequivocally real. Momo's lips are as soft and warm as he'd always imagined, though her eyes are wide with shock and she's stiff in his arms. He tries his damnedest to pour everything he's ever felt for her into the light, momentary pressure of his lips.

Pulling away from her, Izuru leans his forehead gently against hers. His eyes are now the tearful ones as the blue ice melts into warm springs. He breathes deeply as though he has just run a marathon, so his whispered words come broken, though his breath is hot against her ear.

"Because you are my everything."

**-  
**

**In which I fudge around with tenses.**

**I like likening Momo to honeysuckle because it brings pervy images to my mind. Reviews are adored! **


	8. Summer Sunshine

Izuru idly sipped his drink as he sprawled on a comfortable lounge chair, staring at the magnificent view. Spreading out before him were beautiful grassy fields, the palm trees, the sandy white beaches, and the incredible sun slowly sinking into the ocean.

"Hey, Kira, how're you enjoying your last night on earth?" a shapely woman with strawberry-blond curls walked up with a drink in her own hand.

"Pretty well," Izuru nodded to her. "How was the beach?"

"Shuhei kept tripping and falling," Rangiku shook her head.

"I can see why with a bathing suit like _that_, Matsumoto," Izuru pointed to where Matsumoto was spilling out of her bikini.

"I don't think Hinamori understands the purpose of this vacation, though," Rangiku slumped a little sadly in her chair.

"She needs it, though. She needs to unwind after what she went through during the winter war," Izuru said pensively. "She, Hisagi and I all need this."

"And I do too," Rangiku sighed dramatically.

"Rangiku," Izuru peered at her with a trace of annoyance. "You didn't lose your captain. You weren't even supposed to come."

"That's besides the point," Rangiku snapped. "Now come on, they're roasting a pig at the hotel tonight."

A dark-haired young woman suddenly came up, looking rather unhappy and tense.

"Hinamori, you're here to _relax_!" Rangiku said angrily.

"Mm, sorry, Rangiku," Momo nodded, gazing at the floor.

"Ugh, I give up," Rangiku drooped dramatically, going back into the hotel.

"Momo—" Izuru choked a little on his words to his unrequited love. "Rangiku's right; just unwind a little bit, okay?"

Momo jumped slightly, and brought up her conflicted chocolate eyes to meet his tender blue ones. Blushing furiously, she stared again at the floor. "Y-yes."

Izuru bit his lip. He just wanted to hug Momo until she told him what was bothering her.

Maybe that wasn't a good idea, he realized as a dull pink took to his cheeks. Momo looked downright adorable in her blue-and-white striped bikini. Izuru seriously doubted he could keep his mind on her emotional well-being when she was wearing so little and looking so devastatingly beautiful.

But then again, in Izuru's eyes, she always looked devastatingly beautiful.

Trying to reorganize his enamored thoughts, Izuru looked up to say something comforting to her, but she was already walking back to the hotel.

-

She returned later in the evening, wearing a comfy navy sarong over her swimsuit bottoms. The luau was in full swing. Izuru was idly off to the side, sipping his virgin daiquiri. He lazily waved to Momo, who, with a flinch and blush, quickly turned away from him.

Izuru immediately sunk into a state of self-loathing. Did Momo hate him for what he had told her? Of course she did! How could he say something so _rash_ and _insensitive_ to poor, sad Momo?

Speaking of which, in his five minutes of beating himself up, where had she gone to? Izuru stopped self-pitying long enough to swing into full panic mode as his eyes quickly scanned the area before him. He didn't see her. His stomach wrenched guiltily.

"_Momo!_" Izuru yelled. She wasn't on the patio, she wasn't by the buffet; she was _gone_.

Cursing his stupidity for once again letting her out of his sight, Izuru charged down the pathway. He ran through the fragrant gardens, along the sandy white beach, and up the hillside until he came to the cliff, covered in soft green grass that swayed gently in the warm breeze.

Izuru almost fainted with relief when he saw her sitting quietly there.

There Momo was, hugging her knees to her chest as she stared out desolately into the shining sea.

"Momo, thank God, I thought you were—" Izuru went to sit next to her, but he cut himself off as he saw her flinch horribly.

"Sorry," she whispered, smiling sadly at him.

"Momo," Izuru bit his lip as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong? I-is it _him_?"

"Aizen?" she shook her head sadly. "No… it's… it's really stupid."

"You can tell me—" Izuru blushed just a little bit; he was being very presumptuous with the woman he loved! "But you don't have to if you don't want to!"

"I guess it's…" Momo hugged her knees to her chest. "I've seen your face a thousand times before."

Izuru waited patiently.

"But I knew you were the one when you came walking through the door."

Izuru's heart stopped in his chest then suddenly began to pound very quickly. What was she saying? _What was she saying?_

"Maybe, though, that was only in my dreams," a broken sob came from Momo's lips as she buried her head in her arms. "You were only in my dreams."

"I—I don't think I understand, Momo," Izuru cleared his throat, not quite managing to wrap his mind around the unbelievably, unspeakably _wonderful_ thing that she was implying.

"I've fallen for you, Izuru," Momo's voice trembled as she looked at him, her dark eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "A-and now, I don't know what to do."

Izuru's arms tightened around her as he drew Momo to him tenderly. He was trembling at that thought, that wondrous thought, that she could ever feel the same way about him—it was just too much.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered into his chest. "I shouldn't have told you."

"You can tell me anything you want, Momo," Izuru's tongue was heavy in his mouth as his brain continued to spiral. She could probably feel his heart beating ferociously in his chest. "You don't have to hide anything from me—" he swallowed thickly, "Momo, I love you too."

Momo jerked in his arms, staring up at him in disbelief, and Izuru had to kiss her then.

She put her hands on his chest, pressing her lips shyly to his. Momo pulled back an inch to look into Izuru's eyes which were shining brightly in the moonlight. The sheer honesty in his eyes was overwhelming. Izuru adored her. He'd always been deeply in love with her. Oh, why couldn't Momo have told him sooner?

"That's good," Momo whispered again, closing the space between them. Her fingers threaded through his cornsilk hair as she moved her mouth gently against his.

A whistle and explosion interrupted them.

"Look, Izuru, fireworks!" Momo leapt to her feet, the bright purple sparks glistening off the mask of tears that she had shed moments ago.

Izuru gently tugged her down into his arms, watching the spectacular fire in the sky. His chest tightened with emotion as Momo wriggled so she was flush against him, and she made a happy little noise.

"They're beautiful," she whispered quietly from where she was tucked warmly into his chest.

"This is the most beautiful night I've ever seen," Izuru whispered, his voice tight with the overwhelming emotions.

"I'm happy I get to share it with you," Momo sighed contentedly.

"Me too," Izuru whispered into the crown of her head, moving his lips against her soft, fragrant hair. His hands were placed warmly across her bare abdomen, tentatively kneading the unthinkably smooth skin. "Me too."


	9. A Not so nice Game

Rangiku felt devious. She felt just plain evil. Her captain definitely recognized it. Hitsugaya's white brow arched suspiciously as she cheerfully did her paperwork without a complaint. He nodded stoically to her as the woman, with a few bottles of sake under her arm, went off to the Soul Society Women's meeting.

-

"Where's the chairwoman?" Momo asked innocently enough.

"Couldn't make it today," Nanao didn't look up from her book. "Apparently Rangiku has some 'plan' on what to do today…" Nanao shot a skeptical look at the strawberry blond woman. Rangiku winked.

"Okay, everyone! Today, since our young Chairwoman has the sniffles, we're gonna play a great old party game." Everyone looked at Rangiku strangely as she paused for effect. "Marry, Kill, Bone!" The women who had heard of this game groaned, while the others glanced around curiously.

"I itold/i you guys this would be the week to come!" Shuhei hissed to Renji and Izuru from their hiding place. It was quite cramped, because usually Shuhei only shared this spot with Iba, but the large man was sick this week, so he had invited some of his more virginal friends to spy with him.

"What's she talking about?" Izuru asked uncomfortably. To say he disliked the idea of spying would be an understatement, but Shuhei and Iba talked about these meetings with great reverence.

"In this game, we'll give you names of the imeeeeen/i" Rangiku sang the word "we all know and love, and you have to decide who you'd marry, who you'd kill, and who you'd bone. Now everybody have some sake!" she ordered, passing cups around. Izuru couldn't help notice Momo laughing nervously as she drained hers.

"Isane, you first!" Rangiku shoved a cup of sake into the tall girl's hands. "Renji, Izuru, and Iba!" Isane's eyes widened, and she nibbled on the tip of her thumb.

"Well… I'd marry Abarai…" Renji gave Shuhei and Izuru a triumphant look. "Um, kill… Izuru …" Izuru mouthed an incredulous iwhat?/i in the direction of his companions. "and… um… b-b…" she couldn't get the rest of the sentence out as her face turned a magnificent crimson. The others hooted with laughter. Shuhei had to stuff a fist into his mouth to keep is snort from being audible.

"Ooo, Isane must need glasses or something!" her sister Kiyone laughed, sipping from her own glass.

"He's not that bad!" Isane fired back, her face going scarlet. "He's really funny and… and tall!"

"He has a mustache AND he's still an inch shorter than you," Kiyone laughed good-naturedly.

"Oi, Kiyone, if you think this is so easy, Sentaro, Chojiro, or Omaeda?" her sister sniped as the sake pulled her shy demeanor down.

"Marry Chojiro, definitely," Kiyone shot back, "DEFINITELY axe Omaeda… and bone—" her face twisted with sudden realization. "HEY!" Her sister stuck her tongue out.

"Who needs glasses now, shorty?"

"Hey, Nanao?" Soi Fon (when Renji noticed her standing in the corner, he nearly said a very bad word) barked. "Shunsui, Ukitake, Omaeda."

"That's rigged," Nanao shot back. "That's rigging if I ever saw it."

"If you do it, than I will too," Soi Fon cocked an eyebrow. Renji DID swear this time, but the curse was muffled by the laughter being chased around the room.

"Marry Ukitake, kill Omaeda…" Nanao gave her superior a frosty look.

"Say it." Soi Fon grinned wickedly.

"Bone Kyoraku." Nanao said icily as though it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Captain, Renji, Izuru, Shuhei," Momo called out from her seat. All three men's heads jerked toward her, wondering how anything so innocent looking could be so evil.

"Marry Izuru," Soi Fon said slowly after a moment. Izuru was surprised he didn't actually warp space with his violent twitch as his companions burst into peels of laughter. "Kill Renji," Renji's laughter ceased immediately, for he knew that she was more than willing and more than capable of doing so.

"Maybe I shouldn't have hurled in her catnip bushes last time we partied at your place," he whispered to Izuru.

"And bone… aw, why couldn't Yoruichi have been on that list?" Soi Fon harrumphed irately. There was no small amount of suggestive hooting and wolf-whistles going around with her last comment.

"Rangiku

"Momo, same list," Rangiku ordered. Momo sighed, refilling her cup and taking a healthy swing before she slowly retook her seat. For some odd reason, Izuru's heart was in his ears, and even if he knew it was just a stupid game that girls played when they got drunk, for some odd reason, he felt that his fellow males were very eager to hear the results to this one. They mostly felt this way because they had both been egging Izuru to confess his love to Momo for as long as they'd known him.

"Marry Izuru," Izuru's breath caught in his chest; he wasn't sure if he was happy or sad to hear this.

"It's better than getting killed," Renji whispered bracingly.

"Murder Renji," Momo's voice sounded surprisingly sage, despite the grim declaration. Izuru automatically glared at Shuhei.

"It's just because your so dependable," the scarred man whispered. "I'd make a lousy husband. And besides, I'm obviously a lot sexi--_ouch_!" He cut himself off as Izuru kicked him in the shins.

"And bone…" Izuru waited with a tight chest was Momo glanced imploringly at Rangiku. Of course, as the next words left her lips, the men's hiding place was completely revealed when Izuru hit the floor from cardiac arrest, "ohhh, would it be so bad if I wanted to bone my own husband?"

-

**There are way too many depressing KiraHina fics on dA. I wanted to lighten the mood with a fun one-shot**


	10. THe Blame that Crushes

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Izuru Kira nodded tersely as an underling greeted him. He quietly stepped through the early morning hush that hung over the halls of the 4th Squad's treatment facility. Every day, this trek was his. If it weren't for his duties, he would have probably stayed the night, if Captain Unohana would allow it. Every footstep reminded him. Every echo throughout the sleepy halls made him wonder what else he could have done.

"_Momo," the wiry blond man grabbed the gentle black haired girl's slender arm. Creases of worry still traced her gentle features as she look back at him with concern. She still held Renji's armband in shaking hands after confiding in Izuru that she was afraid Renji would do something foolish_

_Izuru's stomach still burst into its little flurry of gymnastics when he laid his hand on her warm arm, but he was able to keep the stuttering and blushing to himself this time._

"_Promise me you'll stay in the barracks of the 5__th__ squad until the Ryoka are caught," Izuru looked very seriously into her eyes._

"_Izuru, I—" Momo looked up at him curiously._

"Promise me,_ Momo," he cut her off. Momo looked slightly taken aback at his firm tone. "I want to know you won't get hurt," he explained in a slightly gentler tone as his firm grasp transformed into a tender caress of her fine-boned shoulder._

"_Okay," Momo nodded after a moment. "I promise, Izuru." She gave him an innocent smile as she turned on her heel and started back to the 5__th__ Squad. Izuru allowed his hand to trail on her shoulder for a mere moment. As he watched her neat fabric-covered bun of hair bob out of sight, he sighed with no small amount of melancholy and absentmindedly brought his fingertips to his face. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent and closing his eyes. _

_Shaking himself out of his love-struck trance, he stiffened, though he still kept the hand retaining Momo's aura to his face. "3__rd__ Seat, 5__th__ Seat, 6__th__ Seat!" Izuru shouted, and the three Soul Reapers appeared within moments._

"_Yes, Lieutenant?"_

"_We need to find Lieutenant Abarai," he told them all. "Gather your zanpak-to."_

"_Sir!" they all shouted, and they disappeared to get their weapons. Izuru focused for a moment, just to find the trailing end of Momo's warm spiritual pressure. He promised her he was going to check on Renji and make sure the red-haired man was safe, and any promise, but most particularly, the ones he made to Momo, would be carried out to the fullest extent._

Izuru trembled slightly. How wrong things had gone after that… Aizen's death was the worst of it; that single event had entirely destroyed Izuru and Momo. He could still hear Momo screaming like she'd never stop, and he could still see the wild look in her eyes as she charged desperately at Ichimaru, her sword raised. He could feel the heat of the sparks that flew when he easily parried her attack, and he could smell the salt of her tears and the singed hair as she drew back and fired off balls of magenta fire. But most of all, he could still feel his intent to kill her, like a knife in his heart. It still twisted his gut to think of what might have happened had Hitsugaya not stepped between the two Lieutenants. What if his sword had cut into her? What if, what if, what if?

That guilt had pursued Izuru to his prison cell, he remembered. He had attempted to inflict punishment on himself to the point that he was put in a straight-jacket. He was unforgivable for what he had done. He was scum. He wished that Captain Hitsugaya had slaughtered him in the courtyard. And then… Ichimaru came, bringing a promise to protect Momo. Izuru jumped for the opportunity. Izuru felt the freezing ice encase his arm, burning like some strange fire. He had been beaten soundly by Rangiku, all for Momo's sake. And then he had felt it. He had felt her spiritual pressure evaporate. Even if his injuries had not rendered him handicapped, he could not have moved, for she was _gone_, and it was _his_ doing and it was all _his_ fault for putting _his_ faith in _his_ captain.

And now, as Momo gently tread the line between life and death, he was left to meditate on his blame.

Sighing quietly, Izuru slid open the door to her room. His heart nearly stopped, for the bed was empty and made, the IVs stood in the corner like stoic sentries, and worst of all, the heart monitor was dark.

Izuru felt his knees weaken; he felt his heart begin to jump erratically, for surely, the thing was breaking. A roaring filled his ears, and the room was spinning, for this time, he really, truly had killed her. She had slipped though his fingers in the night and—and—

"Kira!" Lieutenant Kotetsu appeared next to him. Her voice seemed to echo through the suddenly empty chambers of his mind. Izuru could barely breathe, because now, _now_ the crushing guilt on his chest was just too much, and he would have screamed if drawing breath were even remotely possible. "Kira, I sent a messenger over to your place, but you'd already left—"

Izuru could barely acknowledge her words, her hand on his shoulder… nothing made sense, nothing mattered but the blame crushing him. "Whe—" he finally choked out, "When did it happen?"

"This morning! Kira, what's wrong?!" Isane wheeled him around.

Izuru couldn't speak. What was she _talking_ about?! Momo was dead, and she was asking him what was _wrong?_

"Isane," a crisp voice called from the entryway. "Please help me. Hinamori got a little… overwhelmed at the contact center." Isane shook her head as she walked off towards Chojori Sasakibe's voice.

"Captain Unohana told you not to overdo it," Isane reprimanded severely. Izuru could barely comprehend… Was it… was it that Momo was _alive?_ Suddenly, it all made sense. Momo had woken up! That's what Isane was talking about!

"Oh God…" he whispered. "Oh, thank God…" he slumped against the wall, sliding down. He nestled his head between his knees, putting his hands over his ears in attempt to steady the rocking room.

"Kira, should I admit you?" Isane squatted down next to him.

"N-no…" Izuru unsteadily forced himself to his feet. "I… I think I'm gonna go lie down for a while…"

"What about Hinamori?" she asked.

"I'll see her later…" he stood for a long moment, staring into the bedroom where she had lain for so many months and now lay again. Shaking slightly, Izuru wandered back to the third company.

-

"Hello? Is anyone here?" a small, tired voice echoed through the empty halls of the 3rd Company's senior offices.

"_Momo?_" Izuru burst out of one of the doors, his eyes still clouded with the restless sleep that had plagued him since the horrible day when he had raised his sword against Momo. The light robe slung around him was coming somewhat loose and his blond hair was tousled. "I can't believe you—you're—"

"I know… Isane said th-that you had come looking for me this morning?" her tongue was still heavy in her mouth from the long sleep.

"Yeah… um…" Izuru looked over her. Her eyes were sad and dark with heavy circles beneath them and her tiny frame was even more fragile than usual. Her face was sallow and her skin was so cracked and dry… Izuru suddenly fell into a bow, nearly prostrating himself before his love. "Momo, please forgive me," he whispered hoarsely. "I—I'm scum; I'm the lowest of the low. I don't deserve your friendship and—and it's my fault that you got hurt and—" a tear rolled down his nose and splashed onto the wooden floor. "and if you'd d-died…"

"Izuru," Momo knelt down next to him, putting one of her delicate little hands on his shivering back. "I—I don't blame you."

"But _I do_," Izuru raised his forehead from the ground to pull her into his embrace. "I raised my sword against _you_, Momo. I should have been the one to almost die…"

"Izuru, I'm _okay_," she cupped his face in her hands, carefully brushing away his tears, only to replaced them when her own began to tumble. "It doesn't ma—"

"_Don't_ tell me it doesn't matter!" Izuru's face contorted with despair. "Momo, what if you'd _never_ woken up?! It would have been _my fault_."

"_No!_ No, Izuru…" she whispered, grasping his hand and pressing it to her own face. "It wasn't your fault… I screwed up… I was so _stupid_ and _blind_ and I'm just so _useless_…"

"You aren't, Momo! You're sweet and wonderful and beautiful and I lo…" Izuru cut himself off as her sobbing grew louder. "Just please, stay with me for… for a while" Izuru gasped, leaning his forehead against hers. And so they stayed there, huddled and crying, clinging to one another desperately as the self-blame crashed down upon them as the tears that poured from their eyes.


	11. And then You were Gone

It was instantaneous. One moment, he was next to her, smiling slightly. The next minute, he was gone. The mission hadn't been complicated. A hollow had been seen roaming the streets of the real world, so they were off to hunt it down and kill it. A simple assignment. It had gone so wrong.

"Momo," Izuru caught up with her on the way out of the Assistant Captain's meeting. "Are you sure you want to go on this assignment? I'm sure I can get one of the others—"

"Izuru, don't worry. Captain Aizen's been coaching me in my swordplay, so I'll be fine," Momo gave him the earnest smile that sent his stomach into a flurry of backflips. "Look, I'm going to go grab Tobiume. I'll meet you at the gates later, okay?"

"Alright, you know I just worry…" Izuru smiled, daringly reaching out a hand to ruffle her hair.

"I know. What would I do without you caring for me?" Momo dodged his hand and gave him a hug. Izuru turned bright magenta as he got a faceful of thick, black hair. He finally seized control of his cha-cha-ing brain and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closely.

"I do worry too much," he chuckled gently into her ear, thrilled to still be able to string two words together.

"Mm, but I appreciate it," Momo tightened her arms for a moment, and then released him. Izuru allowed one hand to trace through her hair before she flash-stepped away.

"There she goes," Rangiku laughed from the corner she had been leaning in.

"Yeah…" Izuru sighed in admiration.

"So, after we get back, I was thinking…" Momo and Izuru invisibly wandered from street to street. The hollow had yet to make its presence known, but Momo knew these things took time.

"Yeah?" Izuru asked.

"We should have dinner together sometime!" Momo laughed, not realizing that her partner was now choking on his own saliva.

"We should," Izuru agreed hoarsely. This was distracting. If they wanted the job done, they should have sent him with Iba or—

"Huhhh…" Izuru's eyes widened as he let out something between a wheeze and a sigh. He managed to maneuver his neck so he could look down. There was a bony white claw through his abdomen. He tried saying something, tried warning his partner but, he couldn't. It felt as though there were a weight on his throat. He could barely breath, let alone speak. He felt the sword slowly pull out… and he suddenly found the voice to give a howl of pain.

"Wha—" Momo turned around and looked. "IZURU!" she shrieked in horror.

"Ruh…" Izuru wheezed, spraying blood onto the bony blade. She had to get out of there. She HAD to get out of there. "RUN!"

But she didn't. Momo was petrified. She held her sword in shaking hands, tears running down her cheeks. She slowly stepped backwards. For one moment, Izuru was sure she would run, but she didn't. "No…" he whispered. He gave a groan of pain as the blood-stained blade of bone slid out of his stomach. And slowly, all went dark

"IZURU!" Momo screamed again. She twisted to face his killer. The Hollow had kind of a regal look to her. She appeared more human than most, with elegant, rabbit-like legs and a slim form. Her long arms hung at her sides, but instead of ending with hands, they each ended in great, wicked-looking blades vaguely resembling long-swords. Dark tendrils of hair hung out from her pyramid-shaped mask which, not only covered her face, but also obscured her back and breasts.

"How much do you love this man?" the hollow wheezed in a raspy voice.

"Give him to me!" Momo yelled, unsheathing her sword.

"You do not love him? He is only a trinket? Then perhaps I should devour him here…" The Hollow floated in a dream-like fashion to the pool of blood where Izuru was lying.

"NO!" Momo cried, flash-stepping so that she was in front of Izuru. "If you want to kill him… you'll have to go through me!" Though Momo could not see her face, she heard the Hollow chuckle audibly.

"What a brave little girl. I would have expected you to run home crying by now…" The Hollow. "Well, you will rue the day you challenged the Succubus…" she smirked as she moved into position, pointing one sword-arm to the sky and pointing the other at Izuru.

"Well… Succubus… I don't know who you think you are, but you can pry Izuru from my cold, dead fingers," Momo was shaking like a leaf, but her voice remained remarkably calm as she moved into position, pulling up one hand to block her eyes and twisting her wrist to point the sword at her opponent.

"Begin," the Hollow whispered. She launched at Momo, swinging her sword around like a helicopter blade. Momo dodged backwards as she deflected each blow valiantly. She began Aizen's latest form, a series of swift jabs that were easily dodged.

Succubus caught one of the jabs between her blades and twisted the sword, sending Momo spiraling into the ground. Momo sprang to her feet instantly, catching both blades as they launched toward her neck and driving one into the ground.

Succubus gave an eerie shriek of frustration as Momo landed a slash to her belly. She angrily pulled her arm out of the ground and began a whirling flash of double-bladed fury that Momo barely parried as she was forced back into the wall. Momo used the corner to launch into the air where she attempted to cleave Succubus' skull in two, but the Hollow dodged and landed a glancing kick on Momo's head as she crashed to the ground.

Momo was barely on her feet when suddenly Succubus was lunging at the girl, sending Momo into a flurry of defensive maneuvers as she was again driven backwards. She rushed to Succubus' right, barely noticing as one of the flashing bony blades sliced into her arm. The black-haired Soul Reaper finally thought to summon her sword, though she could not think of what Tobiume could do against this veritable tigress.

"Snap!" she ordered, as her sword became three-pronged. She launched a blazing ball of energy at Succubus which the Hollow easily dodged. The masked woman suddenly launched for Izuru.

"NO!" Momo roared, leaping for the woman. Momo rammed her sword blindly and heard it slice into the wall. Twisting to dive to protect Izuru, even without her sword, Momo suddenly realized that movement from her opponent had ceased. Momo slowly turned around, fearing a trap.

And there she was. Succubus was hanging from where the twin prongs of Tobiume had captured her wrists. "You… you don't deserve to beat me…" Succubus' eyes shown evilly through the holes in the skull. "You're too ignorant to see what's before your very eyes… How could you defeat me?"

"I have friendship, and I would gladly die for it…" Momo cocked her head to the side, coolly appraising her defeated opponent.

"Well, that won't save him," Succubus whispered, and, to Momo's horror, she spat on Izuru.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Momo roared, and with that, she lifted up her foot and brought it as hard as she could onto the pyramid skull. The Hollow gave an otherworldly scream of pain as the bone mask shattered like porcelain, spilling blood and fragments all over the road. As the essence of the Hollow drifted away, the adrenalin drained from Momo's consciousness.

"I—Izuru…" she whispered, falling to her knees, suddenly shaking again. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she began to sweat. Suddenly, a burning acid seeped up from her throat, and she vomited onto the street. "IZURU!" she half-screamed, half-sobbed as she crawled to his side. "Izuru…" she whispered, pulling his head into her lap. "Izuru…" she began to sob miserably as her tears splashed upon his pale, cold face. "No… Please, Izuru! NO! Don't leave me alone!"

Momo leaned forward, grabbing Wabisuke from its hilt. Why had she depended on him? Why hadn't she tried protecting him? She should have been just as worried about Izuru as he was about her. She was dirt. She didn't deserve to live. She should be the one lying here in the street, cold as ice. And she would be. Lifting Wabisuke, she carefully positioned the blade tip on the loose bit of flesh right between her collarbone and her neck. Bracing for the pain, she moved her hands up to the hilt.

"I'm sorry… I wasn't stronger…Izuru…" she whispered, looking at him one last time. Momo froze suddenly as she saw what could only be described as a miracle. Izuru's chest rose and fell. Slowly, haltingly, shallowly, but it was still there.

"M…" Izuru made a tiny noise.

"I'm right here, Izuru!" Momo sobbed in relief.

"Good…" Izuru whispered. "That's good…" he floated on the endless plain of white, barely noticing as his face was covered by kisses.

Izuru felt strange. He could vaguely see what was going on around him, but… at the same time, it was blurred, and he couldn't lift a finger, or make a noise. All he could do was lay back as life flew by. One thing remained fairly unchanging, though. And that was Momo. She carefully sat next to his bed, helping change his bandages, feed him, anything that needed to be done. Izuru was concerned for her, because she seemed to be wasting away, sitting next to his bed, barely eating, barely sleeping, and not accepting any medical attention.

"Hinamori, are you sure you don't want me to send for someone to look at that shoulder?" Captain Aizen asked her, staring at the swollen, pus-filled mass growing on her arm in some concern.

"No, thank you," the fire had dissipated from her eyes, which were downcast. She didn't want to look at him, stretched out before her, treading the thin line between life and death. His chest still rose and fell, but the movements were uneven and shallow, and the horrible wound in his stomach still bled terribly.

"If you're sure," Aizen shrugged as he exited the room. There was no one Momo looked up to Aizen more than anyone, but right now… Right now, all that mattered was Izuru.

"What if he dies?" Momo asked herself, and, Izuru noticed, to his horror, she had begun to cry. "What if I can't ever talk to him again? What if he goes when I'm out of the room? It's my fault if that happens…" Momo had remained on a constant vigil, but those worries still plagued her brain. Izuru himself felt horrible. Making Momo cry was on his list of reasons to stab people, and he himself had driven her to tears!

Had he been able to move, he would have sat up and wiped her tears away, comforting her gently, but all he could manage was one sound: "D… d…on't…c…ry…" he whispered though his parched lips.

"I…" Momo's eyes widened as she brought her hands to her face in shock. "IZURU!" she cried joyfully, leaping onto the bed and covering his face with kisses. "You're okay… Oh, oh, Unohana said there could be brain damage, but… Oh, I was so worried!" she kissed him on the lips, nearly causing a whole different kind of brain damage.

"I'll…be fine…" Izuru whispered, raising his hand, even though it felt as heavy as lead, to touch Momo.

"Okay…" Momo whispered, resting her head momentarily on his chest. "Okay, Izuru…"

"Whoa, you're awake, Kira~!" Rangiku laughed as she strode through the door. "Look at all those painkillers, you lucky little chit!"

"Rangiku, don't…" Momo lifted herself up on her elbows, unfortunately thrusting her bosom into Izuru's face. Izuru's eyes crossed slightly as a small army of hormones rushed into his skull. Maybe it was the painkillers. Maybe it was the thrill of defying death. Or maybe it was the dark-haired girl on top of him who seemed intent on covering every inch of him with kisses.

"M…Momo…" he murmured, slowly drifting into the throes of sleep. "I…l…ove…you…" Momo turned an appropriate shade of pink for the first confession of love she had ever received.

"Don't talk anymore…" she whispered finally, giving him a final, light kiss on the lips. Still blushing magnificently, she resumed her seat next to the bed.

"Oh, brother," Rangiku yawned from the doorway. "Damn, Kira, you really ARE doped up."


	12. Chasing Dreams

_Izuru dodged the blasts of dark energy coming from the grotesquely oversized Hollow's mouth. He felt a twinge of love and gratefulness that warmed him inside as he saw streaks of magenta fire launch through the dark air like enormous comets. _

_He twisted his head slightly so he was able to see where Momo stood on the top of a telephone pole, an elegant silhouette, framed with breathtaking beauty by the moonlight. _

_Neither of them saw the devastating black fire until it hit her, knocking her down from the perch._

"Momo!_" Izuru bellowed as she tumbled, falling almost in slow-motion as the fire coursed across her slender body._

_He couldn't think, couldn't _breathe_; the roaring in his ears was too much, but he had to,_ had to_ get to her before she hit the ground, and suddenly, the fire was on his body too, but she was in his arms, now, and nothing bad could befall her any more._

-

Izuru's head ached with fatigue as he sat on a low stool next to Momo's sterile bed in the 4th Company. He didn't allow the dull throb to bother him, though, because according to Unohana, Izuru's swift actions on the battlefield had saved Momo from any grave harm, and to Izuru, that was the only thing that mattered.

She was now sleeping softly beneath the white cotton sheets, curled slightly on her side, her slender fingers twined softly with the sheets. As her hair spread with dark waves and peaks across the pillow, Izuru remarked to himself that it had been a long time since he had been able to just look at her. The moonlight highlighted her high cheekbones and made the rosebud pink of her lips show starkly.

Izuru fingered his own lips nervously, imagining the feeling of her soft mouth on his, tender and gentle as a flower petal.

He leaned over the edge of the bed, resting his head next to hers as, with slow, tentative movements, he nervously advanced his face towards hers. Her dusky eyelashes cast long shadows across her face, which was pale as a china doll's. Izuru could taste the milky sweetness of her breath on his own lips when he stopped short.

He just _couldn't_. Izuru wanted to, but he just _couldn't_. With a melancholy sigh, he rested his head next to hers, leaning haphazardly off the stool. For now, he would remain in his state of agonizing pacifism in regard to his unrequited love. That was fine, though. Looking at Momo was quite all right with him… she was very beautiful…

Momo's eyelashes fluttered momentarily before her brown irises contracted, trying to see through the darkened room. Her eyes found the clock: by her estimation, she had only been in this bed for a few hours.

Momo gasped as a movement caused her unnoticed injuries to throb painfully.

She softly leaned back into the bed, though she stopped when her eyes caught suddenly on where Izuru's sleepy head leaned on his crossed arms, clearly in slumber. His spine arched haphazardly from where his bottom half just barely remained on a small chair.

Momo smiled warmly and stroked the side of his face uncovered by cornsilk bangs. Her soft palm caught on the blond shadow of unshaven stubble on his otherwise smooth, warm features. He moved his head comfortably against her touch as her hand ran from his jawline to his hairline, occasionally catching on his ear, which tickled him in his sleep.

He was so kind to sit here and watch her in her sleep, though his face was gaunt with hunger and fatigue. Izuru was such a kind person.

Izuru awoke slowly, feeling an unbelievably warm and gentle pressure on the side of his face. His blue eyes widened as he followed the cream-colored wrist up to Momo's tender smile as she stroked him gently.

His stomach swirled with warmth and delight at her touch, though he knew this was probably a very nice dream. Momo stared at him lovingly as her fingers slipped across his face, and Izuru pushed himself the needed inch so that their lips met.

As the very real heat and texture of her lips exploded beneath his mouth, Izuru realized that this most certainly wasn't a dream… but why was she kissing him? Why didn't she push him away?

Izuru felt suddenly very awake as he pulled away quickly and shyly from the warmth of her lips.

"H-how are you feeling?" he stuttered slightly, glancing up at her bashfully.

"A little cold," Momo admitted as she too averted her eyes shyly.

"There are some blankets in the warmer. I'll get them for you," Izuru rose to his feet, though he stopped short when his hand caught on hers.

"I-I don't want a blanket…" Momo glanced up at him shyly. She tugged the bedsheets back just a bit, and Izuru felt the air leave his throat as he comprehended her request.

With tentative, gentle motions, he carefully reclined next to her, slipping his arms around her, drawing Momo's slender body against his.

Momo sighed contentedly as she gently rested her head on his shoulder, spreading one hand on his chest. She had never felt safer or more comfortable in her life, because nothing could happen to her here in Izuru's embrace. He simply wouldn't allow it.

Izuru tightened his arms shyly around her, making sure she stayed melded to him. This wasn't a dream. _This wasn't a dream_.

"I love you," he said tentatively. Momo smiled up at him and echoed the words before kissing him softly.

They laid together in the hospital bed for hours, curling gently against eachother as they talked softly among themselves.

When Isane came to check on Momo, she backed out of the room with a soft smile. For there, tangled in eachother's embrace and in the depths of sleep, were Izuru and Momo, no longer chasing dreams because the lovers had finally caught them.

**-**

**Too much MxPx…!**


End file.
